Ogun Tribunal reserves judgement on Adebutu, PDP’s petition against Abiodun
Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
Ogun State Governorship Election Tribunal on Monday reserved judgment in the petitions against the election of Governor Dapo Abiodun and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The tribunal led by Justice Hamidu Kunaza, said it would communicate a date for judgment to the parties after counsels adopted their final written addresses on Monday
Hon. Ladi Adebutu and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are challenging the return of the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s governorship candidate, Prince Dapo Abiodun by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the March 18 governorship elections in Ogun State.
Adopting his address, Governor Dapo Abiodun’s counsel, Wole Olanipekun, (SAN) asked the court to dismiss the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party for lacking in merit and a mere academic exercise.
He noted that the sole petitions of the petitioners were not duly signed and stamped and, therefore lacked merit to be adopted and should be struck out.
In his counter-argument, Counsel to Hon. Ladi Adebutu, Chris Uche, SAN argued that, all documents presented by the petitioners were gotten from INEC.
Adopting his final written address, Chris Uche, SAN urged the tribunal to declare the petitioner winner of the governorship election.
Uche equally urged the tribunal to remove a total number of 40, 871 votes from Dapo Abiodun’s polled votes and order a rerun in the 99 polling units where elections were allegedly disrupted.
“We are very happy that today we have adopted our final written addresses in support of our petition. And we have asked the court based on the overwhelming evidence which we have advised both orally and documentary.
“And we are asking the court to give judgement to the petitioners, Ladi Adebutu and PDP because we have overwhelmingly proven our case. And this is a case we have brought all the documents certified by INEC and even witnesses called by INEC. So we have done our bit and the matter has been adjourned for judgement at a later date.”
Addressing journalists shortly after the adjournment, Counsel to APC, Tayo Oyetubo expressed confidence in the tribunal of upholding the victory of Dapo Abiodun.
“All parties have addressed the court on the case before the court and the matter has been adjourned for judgment. The case that was brought to the tribunal was attacked on different grounds in terms of competence, in terms of substance, and in terms of the quality of the witnesses that were brought, all of those issues have been adequately canvassed before the court and that in a nutshell, the respondents are confident that they’ve done a good job and winning the case.”
